Fashion designer Henry Holland says his popular friends don’t influence his designs as he creates a fictional character to personify each collection.
“People always love the idea of a muse but I wouldn’t say I have one exactly. What I do though is create a fictional character for each show to guide the narrative behind the clothes. She might be made up of lots of different people, but while I’m working on the show she’s real to me and everything we do goes through that filter, if you like,” Holland told GraziaDaily, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“A few years ago we did a collection and we called her ‘Nana rave’! It was all about an old lady who likes to go to raves – there were loads of bright colours and 90s iconography.
“I thought of maybe someone like my mum in a few years’ time, going out and partying! I like taking two different worlds and fusing them together to make something exciting. So, yeah, there’s a muse but she might not be a real person, she might be an idea that then takes off and becomes something else,” he added.
Holland will soon unveil a new collection for sportswear brand Umbro. And he says every one of his joint ventures has to be “authentic” and true to the values of his brand.
“You have to be doing it for the right reasons and be involved in the whole process, not just putting your name to something. It’s important to be authentic.
“We’re always hugely involved in the design process and we make sure that everything with our name on it carries the brand’s DNA. It’s got to be real. It is a great opportunity to broaden your customer and reach new people but you have to keep your integrity as well,” he said.
